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Joey Zasa
Joey Zasa took over as street boss of the Corleone operations in New York in the 1970s. Biography Zasa was a member of the Peter Clemenza's old regime. In the years following the death of Frank Pentangeli, Zasa was awarded the Corleone crime family business in New York with the Commission and Michael Corleone's approval. He was known to operate with the assistance of his personal enforcer Anthony Squigliaro, also known as 'The Ant'. Zasa was feared and, to a certain degree, respected among his peers in New York's underworld of organized crime for his business acumen and utter ruthlessness. However, he came to power at a time when Michael was all the more determined to make the Corleone family legitimate. Additionally, by the time Zasa rose to prominence, the general public had begun to cool toward the gangster lifestyle. Hence, Michael largely kept him at arm's length. Zasa's flamboyance and hunger for publicity earned him the Corleone family's displeasure as it attracted unwanted public attention to its criminal enterprises. Michael especially disapproved of Zasa's high public profile, as well as the fact that he was heavily involved in the drug trade--even going as far as selling drugs to children. Zasa denied that his underlings were dealing in narcotics, claiming he would kill anyone who did. Michael did, however, trust his word somewhat over that of Vincent Mancini, who claimed that Zasa had been insulting Michael in public. After the two were encouraged to make peace, Mancini bit a chunk out of Zasa's ear, which was later avenged with an attack on Vincent's apartment, which failed. Desiring more power, Zasa schemed with Don Altobello and Licio Lucchesi to have Michael killed as part of Lucchesi's attempt to thwart Michael's takeover of Immobiliare. In return, Zasa would not only inherit the Corleone family, but become capo di tutti capi of New York. As part of the plot, Zasa tried to have Michael murdered during a meeting with all the various Dons of the Commission in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Michael escaped, but nearly every other Don attending the meeting was killed. Execution During a neighborhood religious festival, Zasa and his two most trusted body guards were celebrating, when Zasa saw Lou Pennino scratching the Cadillac that Zasa had put up as a prize in a raffle. When Pennino was confronted, he fled and Al Neri who was disguised with a hood and robe on, carrying The Virgin Mary statue in the festival procession, whipped out a sawed-off shotgun and shot and killed Anthony "The Ant" Squigliaro. Zasa then fled on foot, and when trying to enter a locked shop, was shot three times in the back by a police officer on horseback, revealed to be Vincent Mancini. Altobello and Lucchesi considered it an unexpected bonus that he had been eliminated, as his behavior was becoming something of an embarrasment. Personality and traits A dangerous, methodical enforcer in his prime, Zasa was known to be flamboyant and hungry for fame, making himself something of a public figure in Little Italy, earnign him the displeasure of the Corleones. He was also one of the old guard to an extent, and kept to the rituals of the Sicilian lifestyle. Real life sources Joey Zasa is a composite of mobsters Joe Colombo, 'Crazy Joey' Gallo, and John Gotti. Trivia *Joey Zasa is named after Francis Ford Coppola's maternal grandmother, whose maiden name was Zasa. *Zasa was killed during the Feast of San Gennaro.The Godfather Supplements Notes and references Zaza, Joey Zasa, Joey Zaza, Joey Zaza, Joey Zaza, Joey Zaza, Joey